of shadows 影達
by marzqnna
Summary: Dumbledore's worried. The Dark Lord has returned, and with that, Harry Potter will never be completely safe again. He needs protection - good protection. So Dumbledore calls upon a favour, turning to the shinobi of Kohona for help. What he gets? Something no-one in the Wizarding World ever saw coming. [ full summary inside. sasunaru & sakuino. crossposted on ao3. (details inside) ]


**work: of shadows | 影の, a naruto/harry potter fanfic**

 **author: marzqnna**

 **summary: Dumbledore's worried. The Dark Lord Voldemort has risen once again and with that, Harry Potter will never be completely safe ever again. Dementors are completely out of the question, the Aurors are being kept close to the Ministry's chest, and the Order's already doing all they can. So, he calls upon an favour from an old friend - and hires Shinobi of Konoha to help guard the Boy-Who-Lived. What he gets are three war-hardened ANBU, each with their own secrets to hide. Hogwarts (and the Wizarding World) aren't prepared for what's to come.**

 **parings: uchiha sauske/uzumaki naruto, haruno sakura/yamanaka ino, nara shikamaru/temari, hyuuga hinata/inuzuka kiba, hyuuga neji/tenten, hermione granger/ron weasley, harry potter/HAPPINESS, ginny weasley/luna lovegood, hatake kakashi/umino iruka**

 **notes: anbu!naruto, anbu!sauske, anbu!sakura, basically anbu!rookie 9 | cross posted on ao3 - same title, user revolutionaire**

 **this is not my first fanfic, but it's the first i've written in a while. please excuse any mistakes - i don't currently have a beta and i know i'll miss something. i'm also using google translate for all the japanese - if anything is wrong/incorrect, please let me know, but don't be an ass about it. i'm american and can only speak english (though i do know a handful of french) so i'm using the resources available to me. hope you enjoy the story! ~ sydney**

 **ps: this first chapter is kinda short, but it's mostly an introduction to the story. read on!**

* * *

Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, sits back in her chair and allows the letter she was reading fall to her desk. A slim hand reached her forehead, trying to rub away the tension troubling the kunoichi. It doesn't work. Her eyes close as she runs through the message of the letter in her mind.

The author, an "Albus Dumbledore", claimed he was a friend of the Sandaime - and the information coded in the letter confirmed this fact. If she thought back, Tsunade believed she could recall Hiruzen mentioning a "man similar to myself, though quite different - and outside anything here"... and this "Dumbledore" certainly seemed to fit this description. After all, he claimed to be from "England", a land from outside the Barrier...

She sits back up in her seat and retrieves a pen, as well as pour herself another glass of sake. She throws it back. Flipping over the strange paper - parchment? - and begins writing her response.

...

"So, to be clear, you want this boy - Harry Potter - protected from an evil wizard, this... "Voldemort", because "Voldemort" wants to kill him?"

The old man standing before her nods, glasses glinting in the light. "Voldemort has already made several attempts on his life, and after the events of last summer I suspect him to be plotting another. The previous guards I've had are out of the question, and those in my world who would be my first choice are under the control of the government (The Ministry of Magic) who believes Voldemort has not returned and wouldn't take my proposal seriously. I have a secret organisation working to deflect Voldemort's attacks, but they're already doing all they can and their services will be needed in places other than the school."

Tsunade steeples her fingers, staring directly into his eyes. "And so you turned to us."

"Yes."

"How many shinobi were you hoping for? How many do you suspect you need?"

"However many you see fit."

She nods. "And the money?"

The wizard smiles serenely, reaching into his dress - robes, he called them? - and produced a small pouch, placing it directly if front of her. Tsunade can hear the coins clinking inside the fabric.

She nods again. "Then you have a deal, Dumbledore-san."

She leans over slightly, angling towards the door. She wonders if she's going to end up regretting the decision she's about to make.

"Shizune! Bring me Fox, Raven, and Slug!"

...

"Hokage-sama." Three voices spoke as one. Kneeling before the desk, in the centre of the room, were three shinobi dressed in black clothing. The one on the right donned a mask depicting a slug, her pink hair brushing against her shoulders. The figure on the left's mask was that of a raven, his black hair framing the porcelain. And in the centre knelt a blond with a mask of a snarling fox, painted red whiskers standing out against the white of his mask.

"Fox. Raven. Slug. You may stand." The three stood. "I have called you here for a mission. You shall be sent outside of the Barrier to protect a young boy, Harry Potter, from those who wish to see him killed. This mission will be for a year. This," Tsunade waved at Dumbledore, "is your client: Dumbledore Albus. He is the headmaster of the school you will be sent to. He tells me that the term doesn't start for a few more weeks, so you will be staying at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation created by Dumbledore-san to combat the dark forces of his world. I expect best behaviour from all of you while you are there." Pausing, she lets her eyes linger on Fox. 'Especially you' goes unsaid. "While you are on your mission, use your code names. I will allow Dumbledore-san, the teachers of the school, and the Order to know your names and faces. You may remove your masks and state your names now."

All three swiftly removed their masks and stepped forward as they spoke.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Codename Fox."

"Uchiha Sasuke. Codename Raven."

"Haruno Sakura. Codename Slug."

Tsunade nodded and the masks slid back into place. If Dumbledore was surprised by their ages, he didn't show it.

"I have given you your mission. You have one hour to prepare. Once you have returned, you will be transported to the headquarters. I am clear?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"You are dismissed."

All three disappeared in a gust of wind.

* * *

 **so there we have it! the beginning! don't worry, there'll be explanations for why naruto, sasuke, and sakura are anbu and why they acted the way they did in the next chapter. i'm not sure when it'll be up, but it should be sometime within the next week!**

 **i hope you enjoyed! please review if you did! i would like to know how i'm doing so far. there'll be A LOT more in the next chapter, i promise!**

 **merci beaucoup!**


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